Abstract

Background: Refractive errors are the most leading cause of visual impairment. Spectacles are used as an inexpensive, safe treatment for visual impairment. Children are known for high activities and movements, so wearing glasses may affect their activities and their movement. The present study aimed to investigate the eye-related quality of life and functional vision of children wearing glasses.
Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out using an online survey; and it was conducted on parents of the children wearing glasses in Saudi Arabia between the period from May to June 2020. The survey included seven sections; the first investigated the demographics and the other six sections investigated different impacts of wearing eyeglasses. Data were analyzed using STATA 14.2.
Results: The study included 400 parents of children who were wearing glasses; there were 51% of male children and 51% of mothers who participated in the study. The most common age range of parents was 31-40 years old (42.5%), and college education was the most common education level of parents (52.75%). The mean ± SD of the total score was 67.3 ± 22.8; the age range of 41-50 years and middle education of parents were significantly associated with the total score at t = 0.019, p = 0.0004 and t = 0.01, p = 0.038, respectively.
Conclusion: There was a relatively good quality of life for children wearing glasses due to the help of their parents.

Key words: QoL, Functional vision, Glasses, Children